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Colin_ORegan

Colin_ORegan

Brooklyn, NY
May 2006

FEB 19, 2007 07:14 PM

Environmentalists got an unexpected enemy this week: The Blind.


The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) said hybrid cars pose a risk to the blind, children, the elderly, cyclists and distracted pedestrians.

The group said it conducted tests with blind people.

"We had the car drive by in different situations, to see wether or not people could hear it and use the sound of the car to safely cross the street, and they could not. The car was just silent," NFB spokesman John Pare told AFP.

Thirty blind people took part in the study to prove that hybrid car manufacturers are possibly trying to murder blind people. The unscientific study involved blind people lined up on a city street and they were instructed to raise their hand if they heard an approaching hybrid car.

"We generally couldn't sense that it was there right in front of us, which of course, if we had been standing in the road, would have been running right over us," he said.

"By the time anybody detected it, if we had actually been standing in the road, it would have taken out three or four people."

The blind are suggesting that hybrid cars be equipped with noisier engines to alert pedestrians who might not hear them coming. Other suggestions include louder radiator fans that engage while the engine is quiet or even devices in the wheel well that alert pedestrastrians when an environmentally conscious driver is coming.

One would think that these results would dash the dreams of people who hope one day noise pollution contributed by cars would be a thing of the past. Fortunately, Toyota told the blind people to just relax and deal.

But another Toyota spokesman, Xavier Dominici, said the trend was toward quieter cars and that people should start getting used to them.

"There is a lot of ambient noise and the trends toward quiet powertrains in all vehicle has raised the need for additional caution to be exercised by pedestrians and drivers as well," he said.

"Part of it is also acclimating your ear to that noise. Frankly the sound of an automobile is changing as more quiet powertrains and hybrid vehicles come to dominate the market," he said.

trout78

trout78

North Las Vegas, NV
March 2006

FEB 19, 2007 11:09 PM

why did the blind person cross the road?
because they couldnt hear the hybrid coming.

FunkySkunk

FunkySkunk

Gainesville, FL
July 2004

FEB 19, 2007 11:18 PM

trout78 said:
why did the blind person cross the road?
because they couldnt hear the hybrid coming.




Why did the frog cross the road?
Because it was stapled to the blind person.

Magpie

Magpie

SUICIDEGIRL

Oregon, USA

FEB 19, 2007 11:22 PM

that's what guide dogs are for. duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.

TidesOfNeptune

TidesOfNeptune

Akron, OH
February 2006

FEB 19, 2007 11:25 PM

I wish these blind people would just open their eyes and realize the benefits of...urrr...ummm, I mean I wish they could see the beauty of....no thats not right either...ummm...screw this. How many blind people does it take to screw in a light bulb? ARRR!!!

darkcharge

darkcharge

Portland, OR
June 2006

FEB 19, 2007 11:44 PM

Hopefully the driver of the Hybrid car is not also blind. Then we would have a bigger problem.

scarekrow

scarekrow

USA
December 2005

FEB 20, 2007 12:25 AM

Make them beep.
Make them beep loud.
Make them beep obnoxious.
Make them beep frequently.

That's what I'm talkin' about.

sub_monkey

sub_monkey

United Kingdom
October 2006

FEB 20, 2007 12:27 AM

To use a cliche: Sounds like the blind leading the blind..

Suicide_Earl

Suicide_Earl

Minneapolis, MN
November 2005

FEB 20, 2007 12:34 AM

Hatter_

Hatter_

United Kingdom
January 2007

FEB 20, 2007 01:04 AM

Or just ban hybrid cars and carry on burning petrol...

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

FEB 20, 2007 01:08 AM

Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.

sockmonkey

sockmonkey

Portland, OR
July 2002

FEB 20, 2007 01:17 AM

adjunct said:
Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.



Indeed.

Lyingstones

Lyingstones

Albuquerque, NM
September 2003

FEB 20, 2007 01:17 AM

adjunct said:
Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.



God, i can't count how many cyclists i've run over because i couldn't hear them coming...

Crim

Crim

HOPEFUL

Portland, OR

FEB 20, 2007 01:24 AM

Magpie said:
that's what guide dogs are for. duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.



And enslave those poor dogs?

turin

turin

Denver, CO
October 2003

FEB 20, 2007 01:46 AM

adjunct said:
Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.



I run over blind people all the time.

adjunct

adjunct

Philadelphia, PA
July 2002

FEB 20, 2007 01:52 AM

turin said:

adjunct said:
Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.



I run over blind people all the time.


I had to get fenders just because of that.

meatpieboy

meatpieboy

Korea, D.P.R.
June 2004

FEB 20, 2007 04:18 AM

Magpie said:
that's what guide dogs are for. duuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuh.



quotedfortruth

AND

I thought they aLREADY added sound to the cars, after someone squashed their kid in the drive way or something?

BruisedPassion

BruisedPassion

Tucson, AZ
September 2006

FEB 20, 2007 07:27 AM

Just make it a standard option to have a card in the spokes of the wheel like this guy.

zoom image

SirPsychoSexy

SirPsychoSexy

Ridgewood, NJ
January 2004

FEB 20, 2007 10:13 AM

They should just put something on them so all hybrid cars make a sound like the flying car on the Jetsons.
That way I can make fun of it way down the block before it even gets here.

Happyboy

Happyboy

Berkeley, CA
December 2004

FEB 20, 2007 12:00 PM

Ironically, it's the blind and elderly who actually pay the most attention when crossing the street, I've never had to come to a sudden stop because one or the other stepped out in front of my car. The rest of us have no excuse however. If I had a nickel for every time a bicyclist blew a stop sign and cut me off or a young and capable pedestrian obliviously walked out in front of my car, a '93 Crown Victorian with a very noticeable squeaking noise coming from the engine, I would have enough money to buy at least one hybrid.

hadees

hadees

Austin, TX
December 2003

FEB 20, 2007 12:07 PM

They should just put a rfid tag in every car. It doesn't have to be car specific so there wouldn't be a way to track you. Then a blind person would just carry around a device that informed them, with noise, if cars were getting close.

goodpoltergeist

goodpoltergeist

Douglasville, GA
January 2007

FEB 20, 2007 12:38 PM

Lyingstones said:

adjunct said:
Well-oiled bikes are also a menace.



God, i can't count how many cyclists i've run over because i couldn't hear them coming...



I want you.

Now.

DevilsReject

DevilsReject

Cleveland, OH
February 2007

FEB 20, 2007 01:05 PM



I have a T-shirt that says that on the back.

Blind people thank me all the time for the fact that you can hear my motorcycle coming from close to a mile away.

My neighbors just don't understand when i come home at 2 a.m., my pipes aren't for my own self indulgence....i am truly just trying to help blind people.

Am i evil for outright laughing at the thought of a hybrid car running down a flock of blind people crossing the road? That's all i could picture when i read the OP.

acarv08

acarv08

Toronto, ON
February 2007

FEB 20, 2007 11:14 PM

It's their fault they are blind.
Not the environments.

Geeeez.

Hatter_

Hatter_

United Kingdom
January 2007

FEB 21, 2007 04:23 AM

yeah... but I like people... or rather me, so lets screw these hybrids and all by Range Rovers, or Hummers... biggrin